Note: Examiner has been experiencing off/on issues this weekend. Please check back. This is an interview with WPS Communications Director Rob Penner about the possibility of getting a Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) club in Seattle.

All locals *must* return when we get a club. That should mean we are competitive right from the start.

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Philly looks like it's going to be incredibly competitive without getting any currently active ex-Chargers back - including Solo. Besides, there's STL-area talent spread around the league. We're not getting them back anytime soon, so neither are you getting yours back.
Anyway, nice article find. And I agree, having Seattle in WPS would be an excellent step for the league. But shouldn't this thread be in the expansion forum?

Philly looks like it's going to be incredibly competitive without getting any currently active ex-Chargers back - including Solo. Besides, there's STL-area talent spread around the league. We're not getting them back anytime soon, so neither are you getting yours back.
Anyway, nice article find. And I agree, having Seattle in WPS would be an excellent step for the league. But shouldn't this thread be in the expansion forum?

Seattle seems like the next logical expansion team, followed by Toronto & Houston.

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Whoa, nelly. Getting a little ahead of things, no?

As for the Sounders Women's team, GOALSeattle, do you have any info on current level of support (ie attendance and sponsors) for the Wleague team? The team website I found via the examiner article doesn't seem to have been updated for the 2009 season. How successful are they at the Wleague level?

As for the Sounders Women's team, GOALSeattle, do you have any info on current level of support (ie attendance and sponsors) for the Wleague team? The team website I found via the examiner article doesn't seem to have been updated for the 2009 season. How successful are they at the Wleague level?

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On the pitch they (Sounders Women) are annual Final Four contenders. Off the pitch they are not promoted much, and draw flies. I'd wager 200-400 per match at best, with occasional blips.

Vancouver Whitecaps women are the 'power' in our region, being promoted alongside all of the Whitecaps clubs, and they draw 3-4k most matches.

Let's remember, though, the USL Sounders also had low attendance. Look at them now, in MLS...

Off the pitch they are not promoted much, and draw flies. I'd wager 200-400 per match at best, with occasional blips.

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This is so true. I remember a few years ago when there were the USL Sounders and the W-League Sounders and it was actually sad how little the team was publicized. I did not expect them to be publicized as much as the men's team (considering there are no Title IX issues here), but it seemed like next to nothing was done. I know I would have attended more women's matches if I was informed about simple things like when they were taking place. It just seemed odd to me that I went to a men's Sounders game (same ownership group back then, right?) and they never once mentioned when the next women's Sounders game was taking place or otherwise mention the team. At least not that I noticed.

Now it may have improved in the past few years, but as of ~2002 that's how it was. Since I just moved back to the area, I will make sure to check their website for the schedule after it gets released and head out for a few games.